Advertisers note ad activity

Published on August 04, 2000.

Despite the long commercial actors strike, advertisers said the industry produced almost the same amount of TV commercials this July as last year. Ad groups' Joint Policy Committee on Talent Union Relations said 1,725 commercials were produced July 3-28, vs. 2,035 during a comparable period in 1999. The industry said fees paid to non-union talent have soared this period to $3,590,114, compared with $200,712 during July 1999. Fees paid to Screen Actors Guild members are way down to $143,168, compared with $3,599,663 in July 1999. Some union members are doing work because of interim agreements their unions have with some advertisers. The strike is now in its 14th week, and no talks between the actors unions and the advertisers' representatives are scheduled.